Chapter X
As the lift descended, Riko was still smiling. In all the time Val had known him, the kid had never looked so happy.
He was finally on track to find his dad, his real dad…
Val was sure that he'd still see Riko around, but...he was really gonna miss looking after the kid.
He's not your kid, Val, he reminded himself, Kali'sto raised him…
"Does something feel off to you?" Riko asked, his smile starting to wane.
"What do you mean?" Val replied, glancing towards the kid.
"Something feels different," Riko explained, "There's something else out here."
"Jedi Hunters?"
"I don't think so," Riko responded, his brow furrowed, "It's more like…"
"Deet Breet!" Artoo warned, directing Val and Riko's attention towards a trio of figures who were talking to the supercommando guard.
One of them was an insectoid Gand with a blaster rifle in his arms. Val recognized the sigil on their helmet which identified them as a Findsman, a professional hunter.
The other two were hooded, both clad in robes that were a mix of white and black cloth, their faces covered by scarves. Lightsabers hung at their belts.
Val nodded at Riko, who got the message.
Keep going.
The triad carefully walked past the two Jedi and the Findsman, moving back towards their speeder.
The taller of the two Jedi, a Rodian, turned their wide gaze towards Val.
Val tensed up, his finger on the trigger of his rifle…
"There is no need for hostilities," the Jedi declared, revealing herself to be female as she spoke in heavily accented Mando'a.
Val turned towards the Jedi.
"The wars between our peoples are over," she continued.
"Doesn't mean I don't want a saber on my belt," Val responded in Basic.
"Where else will you find work now, Mando?" the Jedi Master replied.
"There's no good battles anymore," Val responded, "You watch yourself."
Val continued on, as did Riko and Artoo.
"What was that about?" Riko asked.
"Everyone has their prejudices," Val responded, "Even Jedi."
"Oh," Riko realized what Val meant.
They continued walking back towards the speeder.
"Let's keep an eye out," Val added, "I don't think she entirely bought it."
As they made it back to the speeder, Riko still couldn't brush off the nagging feeling in his stomach, feeling a strange pull at the core of his being.
"Alright, hook the droid up," Val ordered.
"It's still there," Riko declared.
"That feeling?"
"Yes."
"Was it those Jedi?" Val asked.
"No. It's something else…"
Riko stopped walking and slowly turned, following the feeling in his gut…
"Val, whatever it is, it's this way," Riko pointed to the south.
"There isn't anything out there, is there?" Val asked, "Just a valley."
"Whatever it is," Riko explained, "It's there."
"Well, we should probably get going…"
Riko began walking towards it.
"Riko!"
"I need to see it!" Riko declared, his feet moving almost automatically.
"Fine," Val responded.
As Riko continued, Val asked, "Shouldn't we take the speeder?"
"It's within walking distance. Hook up Artoo, then just follow me there!"
"Kid!"
Riko started running, quickly leaving Val behind.
For the next twenty minutes, Riko continued jogging across the rocky plains, the descending sun beating down on him. As he did so, the nagging feeling in his stomach grew weaker, and he felt less compelled to continue, and doubt started to trickle in.
Riko brushed it off, focusing on his surroundings. He stood on top of a small hill overlooking a valley surrounded by high cliffs and dotted by yellow shrubs.
The boy retrieved his set of macrobinoculars from his belt and examined the rocky valley. In its center, he saw an old, flaking structure. An ancient compound that looked like it was on the verge of crumbling.
Whatever Riko was looking for, it was probably here.
He pressed his helmet comm.
"Val, can you read me?"
"Loud and clear, kid."
Sighing in relief, Riko said, "Just follow my signal. I think I've found what I'm looking for."
"Got it."
"Val," Riko added, "I'm sorry."
"Kid, I'm sure that whatever it is, it has to be important."
"I hope so. There's something familiar about this place."
"You think you've been here before, kid?"
"I don't know, Val."
"Let's see."
Riko rolled his backpack off his back, unsealed it, and retrieved his primary lightsaber. Once he did so, he moved forward, simultaneously wanting to know everything about the place and leave it as quickly as possible.
He spent the next several minutes finding a path down the hill, taking great care not to slip and fall on the sediment.
Once he found his way down, he approached the old house slowly, his hand on his saber.
The place was quiet, abandoned. Riko could only hear the wind against the dry, coarse grass beneath his boots.
He looked around, hoping to find something of note. The sense of familiarity was ever-present here...
"Woah!" Riko's foot slipped. Riko quickly moved back to keep himself from falling over.
Filled with adrenaline, he crouched down.
It was mostly covered by dirt, but it was smooth and reflective. Metal.
Riko didn't have a shovel with him. He felt around with his hand, trying to see if there was some way he could pull this out of the ground.
He tried to dig with his hand, but only succeeded in moving mere specks of sand and sediment.
Riko huffed with frustration, only to realize that there was another way.
He tried to draw on his frustration and impatience, opening his hand towards the object.
The padawan gritted his teeth as nothing happened, and poured everything into it, struggling.
This was taking too long, he wanted to finish this so he could continue looking for Kali'sto…
The object began to move upward, towards his hand. The dirt crumbled, revealing a silver-chrome head, shaped in the likeness of a humanoid skull. A droid.
Riko looked around the dirty skull for a memory port. This model appeared to be based on the YVHL, probably a Mark 2 or a Mark 3, so the port would be located…
Behind a panel on the back of his head.
Riko opened his backpack and retrieved a cleaning rag. He carefully wiped the back of the skull, and was just able to find the panel. Pocketing the rag, Riko grabbed a wedge from his toolbelt. Moving to the side, he held the skull in his right hand and the wedge in his left, placing it underneath the panel.
Riko tried to push the wedge downward, with no luck. After a few tries, he placed both hands on the wedge, and pushed.
The panel sprang open. Inside lay a memory port.
Riko would have to wait for Artoo and Val so the droid could access it. There was nothing he could do.
Sighing, he figured that he might as well continue looking around. Riko moved to his feet, and decided to see if there was anything inside the house.
As he entered the darkened hut, he ignited his lightsaber and held it out like a glowrod, the ember glow casting a light in the darkness within the structure.
The structure was mostly deserted, and consisted mainly of only one room. It was almost empty, save for one thing.
There was a large, circular device in the middle of the floor.
Riko crouched down, using his saber to illuminate it further. It looked like a holoprojector, likely at least fifteen years out of date. Surprisingly, it appeared to still be functional after all this time. Riko couldn't help but place his hand on the old device.
Suddenly, the projector activated, lighting up the room and startling Riko.
A life sized hologram of a young woman materialized. She had tan-brown skin, short black hair, and green eyes, her neck marked by faint scars. She was clad in frayed, embroidered robes, complemented by heavy, familiar-looking armor plates. A lightsaber – the ornate lightsaber Kali'sto had given him – hung at her belt. It was the woman from Tau's holoimage.
She smiled, "Hello Riko," She took a deep breath, "Where should I start?"
"Mom?" Riko asked.
"For me, it's been almost a month since you were born. The Force will know how old you are now, when you finally see this."
Her holographic hand reached out, somehow managing to caress Riko's face.
Even though he couldn't feel her touch, Riko still felt…he couldn't even describe what he was feeling. He extended his hand to return the gesture.
His hand caused the hologram to ripple slightly. Riko lowered his hand.
"I hope that by now Kali'sto will have told you what he wanted you to know about me. I know that he'll be a loving father for you, and that he'll always keep you safe. You deserve a peaceful childhood, I never wanted you to have one like mine."
The woman's smile waned.
"You and Kali'sto deserve to know everything, ad'ika." She grabbed something out of frame and displayed it, revealing a helmet.
Like the rest of her armor, it was adorned with unique, artistic symbols. It was painted white, with traces of green. It was Mandalorian.
Riko couldn't help but rapidly tap his fingers against his knuckles as the woman continued.
"Before they were defeated, the Sith attacked Mandalore. So much of my homeworld was destroyed, rendered lifeless and poisonous. Our beskar is inaccessible, our people are decimated. I grew up in the remains of a battlefield, and I can't let something like this happen again."
As his questions were answered, Riko felt a great deal of anticipation and dread as the woman paused, breathing in and out before continuing.
"My friend Tau realized something in his travels. Something terrible, like the Sith, would come back one day. We need to stop it before it happens," the woman suppressed a sniffle, "No matter the cost."
"What?" Riko repeated. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Tau and I have made plans to stage an attack on this place when Kali'sto arrives. It will seem to be the work of dark forces. You'll both be safe, and neither of you will be the wiser. I regret this deception, but I did...well, I will have done...what I had to do, to keep our people from dying out. To keep you safe."
The woman was tearing up. Riko desperately hoped he was hallucinating or mishearing her words.
"If you're back here, then my work is done. My people are saved, and you are safe. That's all that matters."
The woman took a deep breath, tears streaming down her face.
"Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum, Riko. I am so sorry, and I hope that you can at least understand, even if you don't forgive me."
"Wait…!"
She put on her helmet, "May the Force be with you, Riko."
"Wait, Mom!"
The holoprojector deactivated, and the image of Riko's mother vanished.
Riko was panting, his eyes wide, his saber still in his hand.
His grip about his lightsaber tightened...
Riko took his weapon in both hands and slashed the projector in two.
The only sounds were his breathing, the hum of his saber, and sparks issuing from the destroyed device.
He then put his hand on his forehead, collapsing on his knees.
He finally saw an image of his mother…
His mother was working with Tau…?
It was too much to process. Riko just sat down, in silence.
Eventually, a single thought broke his mental paralysis: he wondered if there was anything salvageable in the remains of the holoprojector.
Inching towards the ruined device, he surveyed its rim, looking for a small, rectangular indentation. Eventually, he found it and ejected the projector's memory chip.
After placing the chip in his backpack, Riko slowly got up and walked out of the hut, still attempting to make sense of everything he had just heard.
His sadness and shock were mixed with curiosity and intrigue, his mind filled with questions.
What was her name? What was she like? What were her hobbies, her interests? Why did she carry a lightsaber, how did she know Kali'sto, how did she know Tau…?
The sound of a repulsorlift broke Riko out of his rumination. Sure enough, he and Artoo had arrived. The ex-Mandalorian dismounted the speeder bike.
"You okay, kid?" Val asked.
Riko didn't respond.
"What's wrong?"
"I saw my mom," Riko replied.
"Your mom?" Val repeated loudly.
"A recording," Riko tried to explain, "Apparently, she gave me to Kali'sto as a baby…"
Riko paused. Val was equally silent.
"She's working with Tau," Riko finally choked out.
"No." Val said softly.
"Yes," Riko responded, dejected, "She wanted me to be safe."
Val was silent. Artoo's words were melancholy and empathetic.
Val walked forward towards Riko, slowly, without saying a word.
He hugged the boy. Riko wrapped his arms around Val's torso.
"I'm here, kid."